1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to tongue scrapers and, more particularly, to a tongue scraper fabricated of a material to render it disposable for greater sanitation, formed with a serrated edge to improve efficiency, and also including a flavoring and/or fragrance to promote its usage.
2. Description of the Background Art
The United States is a nation, like many others, whose people spend many millions of dollars each year on mouth rinse, breath mints, gum, and like products to freshen the mouth and take bad breath away. One of the simplest methods to achieve this freshening, tongue scraping, has unfortunately long been ignored. Instead of covering up offensive breath odors, efforts should be directed to removing from the mouth the primary cause of such offensive odors. In support of such approach, it has been found that tongue scraping reduces mouth odor by about 75 percent; brushing teeth reduces mouth odor by about 25 percent and scraping the tongue and brushing the teeth reduces mouth odor by 85 about percent.
Mouth odors are caused by dead cells in the mouth, old foods and microorganisms such as bacteria, either alive or dead. These things remain in the mouth, and unless removed, will mix with saliva to form plaque, a white slimy substance. Plaque not only causes bad breath, but is also harmful to the teeth and gums.
The tongue is an important sensory organ. It is also a haven for the microorganisms that cause offensive odors. It is also a haven for those things that attack the teeth and gums. Daily tongue cleaning through scraping significantly reduces plaque-coating bacteria without causing any deleterious tissue changes in the tongue. Tongue cleaning reduces the amount of coating on the tongue by more than about 40 percent. Tongue cleaning inhibits plaque formation on the teeth by about 33 percent. Tongue cleaning will cut down the bacteria stored in the mouth tenfold. The tongue should be cleaned at least twice daily.
The physiology and anatomy of the tongue is such that it becomes a haven for the germs. The physiology of the tongue is slightly furry in texture and has numerous projections, i.e., papillae, that becomes a breading ground for bacteria to grow which allows greater opportunity for the collection of germs, food debris, dead cells and microorganisms, alive or dead. Over time, some collected material, which becomes a soft plaque, makes up a firm attachment to the teeth and gums. Elimination of plaque from the surface of the tongue, therefore, is important for overall mouth cleaning and hygiene.
The present invention eliminates offensive odor in the mouth, functions to obtain and maintain adequate, home oral hygiene, and abates some periodontal diseases. The culprit in periodontal diseases is plaque. The best defense in adequate oral hygiene in today's society is getting rid of the bacteria which causes plaque from all surfaces of the mouth where they breed freely and multiply.
The background art discloses many types of tongue scrapers. By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,477,435 to Artelli discloses a tongue scraper with a metal blade-like member having one end portion formed to fit between wooden handle parts. An essentially rigid blade-like portion extends forwardly of the handle at the other end in a curve for a right-handed or lefthanded person.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,890,964 to Castanedo discloses a one-piece tongue scraper which includes an elongated handle at one end with longitudinally diverging arms at the other end. The ends of the arms are interconnected by a longitudinally bowed cross bar. The cross bar has a laterally centered arched portion and bevelled edge faces.
Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,455,704 to Williams discloses a toothbrush in combination with a tongue cleaner. The tongue cleaner is an arcuate scraper member which is centrally secured to the tooth brush handle at the end opposite the brush.
Other utility patents of interest include U.S. Pat. No. 194,364 to Morganthau; 697,336 to Hagerty; 1,701,616 to Gross; 1,728,956 to Darmitzei; 1,741,143 to Chin; 1,811,775 to Barkwill; 2,405,029 to Gallanty; 2,574,654 to Moore; 2,583,750 to Runnels; 2,651,068 to Seko; and 3,811,447 to Weber.
In addition, U.S. design patents of interest include DES. 221,036 to Potti; 238,108 to Cooke; 242,744 to Rendleman; 246,878 to Kitzis; 253,789 and 287,508 to Gupta; 258,111 to Christen; 259,209 and 286,326 to Gautama; 265,270 to McCarty; 265,506 to Finamore; 281,720 to Tiwari; 283,952 to Berkowitz; 285,250; 285,251; 285,252; 285,253; 285,341; and 285,342 to Audette; and 299,055 and 303,289 to Swamy.
The background art discloses a wide variety of tongue scrapers designed to perform in a wide variety of manners. They are fabricated of a wide variety of materials, natural and synthetic, and are designed to a wide variety of shapes and constructions. No background art, however, discloses, teaches or suggests a tongue scraper which is designed to be disposable for one time use and greater hygiene, which is provided with a serrated edge to fit into the dorsal of the tongue for improved efficiency, and which is flavored to enhance its use. All previous tongue scrapers are simply lacking in one regard or another. The construction and curvature of this tongue scraper promotes a visual impact of what and how much comes out by using it.
As illustrated by the quantity of background art, efforts are continuously being made in an attempt to improve tongue scrapers. No prior effort, however, suggests the present invention configured as disclosed herein. Prior tongue scrapers do not provide the benefits realized with the present invention. The present invention achieves its unique purposes, objects and advantages over the prior art through a new, useful and unobvious combination of features, through the utilization of readily available materials and conventional components and at a reduced cost to manufacture.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a tongue scraper formed of a flexible material, the scraper having a first edge and a second edge with one of the edges having with teeth along the central extent thereof.
It is a further object of the present invention to remove thick, coating-like, white and sticky patches of aerobic microflora from the tongue and mouth.
It is a further object of the present invention to freshen the breath by eliminating the odor causing plaque coating from the mouth.
It is a further object of the present invention to improve the taste of food by removing a coating from the surface of the tongue to expose various taste buds.
It is a further object of the present invention to have a scraper with a unique curvature which covers the whole tongue and eases the cleaning action even from the depressed area of the tongue.
It is a further object of the present invention to make tongue cleaners more hygienically clean and safe by making scrapers disposable.
It is a further object of the present invention to make tongue scrapers with flavoring or fragrance to make them more pleasant to the sensory glands and buds and leave freshness in the mouth for longer periods.
It is a further object of the present invention to have a feeling of total cleanliness after its use for physical and emotional oral gratification.
It is a further object of the present invention to be a most convenient, easy and effective instrument or device for oral hygiene daily program for use in today's society.
It is a further object of the present invention to show instantly actual plaque formation on the tongue by using this curvatured, serrated device which leaves a visual impact in the mind.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the invention. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the intended invention. Many other beneficial results can be obtained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.